Accidental Truth
by LexiThePlexi
Summary: A visitor in the bull-pen leads to a long-forgotten secret finally being brought to light. Just why did DiNozzo not take the Rota assignment? Spoilers for Singled Out. Second chapter up. More on Ziva's reaction.
1. Gibbs

**A/N: So this is something I've always wanted to write ever since I saw the episode Singled Out. I've always thought that the team should have found out about him being offered his own team, especially because of the way he was treated. Anyway, this takes place somewhere around season 7, so it's been a while since he was offered but hopefully it pans out nicely with the story. Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Nada. Too bad though, isn't it? God, the fun you could have with these characters! **

**Accidental truth**

It was quiet in the bull-ben. Or well, as quiet as it could be with one Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo sitting behind his desk, happily chatting away about the new suround system he had just bought. Not that anyone was really paying attencion. McGee was staring intently at his computer, his fingers flying over his keyboard, not at all aware of the things going on around him. Gibbs was working quietly at his desk, ignoring his Senior Field Agent as usual. Ziva though, was the one having trouble contentrating with her partner just a few feet away babbling away about things she didn't really care about. Finally she had had enough and slammed her pen down on her desk.

"Tony!"

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly suprised. Seeing her frustrated expression he couldn't help the smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, Zee-va?"

"Will you stop talking for just a second?" She was loosing her patience, and his careless smirk did nothing to ease her frustration.

"Why, do you find my talking distracting you from..." His next words were suddenly interrupted by a presence standing awkwardly in the entrance to the bull-pen, right between Tony and Ziva's desks. Now Gibbs and McGee were also looking up from their work, interested in knowing who the new-comer was.

"Hi," came the almsot nervous reply to the silence suddenly overtaking the bull-pen. He was good-looking, in his mid-forties and looked as if he'd just come from a long and sleepless flight. He was also very tanned.

"Hi," Tony replied. "Can I help you with something?"

The man smiled now, offering his hand for Tony to shake.

"Special Agent Nick Carson. I think I have you to thank for my job." Tony blinked, shaking the man's hand uncertainly.

"I'm not quite sure I know what you're talking about."

"Oh, that's right," Agent Carson replied, suddenly realizing his mistake. "I forgot to tell you. I'm Senior Agent in Rota, Spain." Comprehension dawned on DiNozzo's face.

Carson shock his head.

"I never did understand why you turned it down, but I guess I should be grateful, since it went to me instead."

Gibbs had been quiet the entire exchange, so far only watching from behind his desk. But now he was rising himself out of his chair coming to stand next to Carson. Tony knew as soon has the words "Rota, Spain." left the Agent's mouth that he was screwed. He looked up at his boss with an innocent expression.

"I have no idea what he's talking about boss."

Gibbs just stared at Tony, making him shift uneasily.

By now, McGee and Ziva were also coming to stand by Tony's desk, both curious as to what was going on. Carson looked around uncertainly, suddenly aware of the tension in the room.

"Maybe I'm just gonna... yeah, I'm just gonna go." He quickly slipped out of the bull-pen, not wanting to be anywere near the disaster that was sure to come.

Looking at his team-mates, Tony laughed a shaky laugh. His eyes came to rest on his boss though.

"Honestly boss, he must've had me mistaken for someone else. I don't know what he's talking about."

"When?" Gibbs said.

"When what?" Tony asked innocently.

"When," he leaned down, staring DiNozzo in the eye. "were you offered the Rota assignment?"

Tony shifted uncomfortable in his seat before admitting defeat and softly replying.

"When you cam back from Mexico."

From the corner of his eye, Tony saw McGee's eyes widen at the admisson, probably remembering the hard time he gave him for only being a "Temporary Team-leader". Tony was focusing on his boss though. But what he didn't expect, was the barerly hidden suprise he saw there. Gibbs quickly schooled his expression though and asked softly.

"Why didn't you take it?"

Still slighlty taken of gard, Tony wasn't sure what the best way to answer that was. But he knew lying was out of the question though. Especially if it was Gibbs asking the question. He decided on an answer not quite the truth, but not altogether a lie either.

"Wasn't ready for it, I guess."

"Bullshit." Gibbs answered, clearly telling him to try again.

Tony just stared at him for a long moment, the silence almost becoming overwhelming. Finally he broke away though, his eyes instead landing on Ziva. She was staring at him with an unreadable epression on her face, one he wasn't quite sure how to interpret. He sighed, looking down at his hands.

"I just.. I didn't wanna leave okay?" He looked up at his boss again, his eyes begging him to leave it at that. To not make him explain why he felt so strong about them that he couldn't leave them for a higher, better job in the sun of all places.

Gibbs kept staring at him, probably trying to figure out the truth to that statement when he suddenly leaned back, looked away and smiled a rare smile. He then turned around and headed out of the bull-pen, yelling over his shoulder.

"Going for coffe."

Ziva and McGee were quiet, both staring at Tony with an expression of pure disbelief. He smiled up at them, suddenly in a much better mood.

"You two better close those pretty little mouths of yours, and go back to work before Gibbs comes back from his coffe-run."

_Good? Bad? Awful? I'm not sure, but I might add some additional chapter to this later, let me know if you'd like to see something more on this. _


	2. Ziva

**A/N: So, I upon reading the wonderful reviews I got for the first chapter I decided to write something more. This one is about Ziva's reaction. I'm gonna do one on McGee too I think, but it's gonna have to be later, because I have a friend who's coming over and she's staying the night so there's not gonna be any more writing today I think. Anyway, I'm not as pleased about this one as I was about the first one, but hopefully it's not that bad. I hope. ;) Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly.. no.**

Tony knew he couldn't avoid the watchful eyes of one Special Agent Ziva David anymore when Gibbs suddenly left for his seventh coffe-run that day. McGee was nowhere to be seen, probably doing some computer stuff with Abby down in her lab. So there was nothing there to stop the conversation that was definitely bound to happen. He looked up from his computer-screen to see Ziva already rising from her chair. He winched. He pretended not to notice but watched from the corner of his eye as she slowly came to stand in front of his desk. Upon hearing her silent cough, he slowly looked up at her.

"Yes, Zee-va?" She raised an eyebrow at his obvious attempt to try and hide that he knew exactly what she was coming over to ask. He decided to ignore her little way of telling him he was busted.

"To you want anything? Or have you just come over to admire your favourite "Very" Special Agent Tony DiNozzo?" To say that she was amused, was an understatement. She silently observed him, making him almost squirm in his seat. After a moment of simply staring at him, she quietly came around his desk to lean on it, arms crossed.

"You are a good Agent, yes?"

He almost laughed at her blunt way of beginning a conversation.

"Depends on who you're asking, some would most certainly disagree with you on that one. Though.. I'm not sure if that was really a question, or a statement."

She ignored his attempt to try and steer the conversation to another topic, and asked him the question that had been bothering her ever since they found out he'd been offered his own team in Rota, Spain.

"So why is it," she brought her hands up in front of her to further demonstrate her exasperation of the extremely unlikely thought, "that you did not think you were good enough?"

He had known as soon as he'd said it to Gibbs earlier that day that it was gonna come back to bite him in the ass. He also knew that it was going to be in the form of one ex-mossad officer currently standing in front of him with her hands still in the air, looking at him like she still couldn't believe what she was hearing.

He sighed, dragging his hand over his face.

"Look Ziva, I only said it to try and get Gibbs off my back.."

"You are lying," she said, her eyes full of conviction, "You might have said it to divert the attention from your more... revealing reason for turning it down., but I could tell you honestly believed what you were saying."

He felt like laughing. Why was it, that she always saw right through him? And why did she always have to bring it up when he least wanted to talk about it?

He shock his head.

"I," He stopped, obviously trying to find a way out of this trap he had found himself in. Not founding any he gave up.

"Fine, I was a bit unsure about wether I could really do it. But so what?"

She softened her expression now that she had gotten the answer she was looking for. Upon seeing her sudden change of mood, Tony wondered if the worst was over.

"And now?" She asked, looking him in the eye intently.

Tony sighed.

"And now... if the offer ever came up again I'd think about it."

She rolled her eyes at his vauge answer and asked again.

"Do you believe you could run your own team?"

"Sure," he said off-handingly, "I did it while Gibbs was in Mexico, and look how great you and McGee turned out." He waved at her and McGee's desk to emphazise his point.

She ignored his antics, looking at him with a serious expression.

"You are a good Agent, Tony."

He smiled at her, knowing she wasn't lying. Ziva gave him a soft smile in return, glad he was listening to her. Suddenly feeling way too sentimental though, she straightened up again. She smiled at him one last time before walking over to her own desk and sat down. Tony's eyes followed her and couldn't help but to let out a sigh of relief when he saw her safely behind her own desk. If she noticed she didn't acknowledge it.

Silently they both went back to work.

_Did I pass? (A)_


End file.
